Fuel Collapse Paralyzes Rostov’s Northern Districts

Across northern Rostov region, fuel scarcity has brought daily life to a standstill. Residents of Bokovsky and Sovetsky districts say they have been struggling for weeks to find gasoline, with many unable to reach work or hospitals.

According to 161.ru, the crisis began in late August when local filling stations stopped receiving regular shipments. In Bokovsky district — home to only two fuel stations — residents report that one station now sells exclusively to companies by advance booking, while the other offers small rations to individuals a few times a week at inflated prices, reaching 74.9 rubles per liter for AI-95.

“People in small villages have no jobs nearby and must travel to the district center,” one resident wrote on Governor Yuri Slyusar’s Telegram channel. “Public transport runs once a week for just a few hours. Some need to see a doctor or handle legal matters. What are we supposed to do? People are howling already! We pool money and drive a hundred kilometers to other districts just to fill up.”

Local authorities confirmed that the shortage has persisted since August 26. Officials said the situation is similar across the northern territories, where “shipments of petroleum products from supplier bases have been suspended.” Unlike larger towns, these districts lack branches of major national fuel chains such as Lukoil, Rosneft, or TNK, which continue to sell fuel without interruption elsewhere.

The Bokovsky administration has appealed to the regional Ministry of Industry and received contact lists of wholesale suppliers to help private gas stations resume purchases. By September 29, limited retail sales had resumed at two small independent stations — “Podsolnukh” and another privately owned by local entrepreneurs.

While local governments describe the disruption as temporary and localized, residents say it is the worst fuel shortage in years, affecting nearly every settlement across northern Rostov.

Regional officials insist the problem stems from logistical issues rather than a wider supply collapse. But for many in the countryside — where mobility means survival — the explanations offer little comfort. In their words, “The people are already howling.”